Functional Approaches to the Study of Group Discussion

Abstract

The functional perspective represents one of three dominant theoretical influences on the study of group communication. Howeve, problems inherent to the application of structural-functional models to the analysis of group communication processes are formidable and in need of address. One of the most serious problemsfacing researchers is the need to reconcile the multifunctional nature of communicative acts. This essay addresses this concern and offers several alternative approaches to dealing with it.